Crispy double-fried tonkatsu simmered in a savory dashi broth and finished with silky soft-set egg — Japan's ultimate comfort rice bowl, made at home.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Katsudon is one of Japan's most enduring home-cooked dishes — crispy tonkatsu simmered in a sweet and savory dashi broth, finished with silky, barely-set egg and served over warm rice. With every bite, the fragrant golden crust, tender pork, and soft egg come together in a deeply satisfying combination that is hard to forget.
This recipe brings the flavor of a Japanese diner right to your kitchen. The tonkatsu is double-fried for an extra-crisp crust, rested to keep the juices in, then gently simmered in dashi broth with onion before being finished with egg — cooked in two additions for that signature soft, flowing texture.
Because it is such a simple dish, every ingredient gets a chance to shine — a quality that makes katsudon a truly Japanese kind of home cooking. We hope you enjoy a freshly made bowl in your own kitchen.
What is Katsudon?
Katsudon as we know it today — pork cutlet simmered with egg over rice — traces its origins to the Taisho and early Showa eras of Japan. Western-style breaded cutlets had been adapted into the distinctly Japanese "tonkatsu," and katsudon was born from the idea of serving it with rice, dashi, soy sauce, and egg.
Over time, it grew from a diner staple into a beloved fixture of home cooking and Japanese food culture. The name also carries a playful significance: "katsu" (カツ) sounds like the Japanese word for "to win," making katsudon a traditional meal of encouragement before exams, matches, or important days.
In recent years, katsudon has drawn international attention from visitors to Japan — drawn in by the combination of crispy cutlet, savory broth, and the sight of egg setting gently over rice in a small pan, one of the defining scenes of Japanese donburi culture.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- Pork loin cutlets (tonkatsu-cut) 2 pieces / 4.2–5.3 oz / 120–150 g each
- Salt A pinch
- Black pepper A pinch
Batter
- Egg 1
- All-purpose flour 3 tbsp
- Water 2 tbsp
- Fresh panko breadcrumbs as needed (Dried panko can be substituted.)
- Neutral oil (for frying) as needed
Broth (for 2 servings — use half at a time)
- Onion ½ (about 3.5 oz / 100 g)
-
Dashi stock 150 ml
(Or ⅔ cup water + ½ tsp dashi powder.) - Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Mirin 2 tbsp
- Sake 1 tbsp
- Sugar 2–3 tsp
To Finish
- Eggs 4 (2 per serving)
- Steamed rice 2 servings
- Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) as needed, optional
Instructions
| 1 | Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Score the boundary between the fat and lean meat in several places, then pierce the surface all over with a fork or knife tip to tenderize. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Tip Scoring and piercing the meat prevents it from curling during frying and helps it cook evenly. |
| 2 | In a bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and flour to make a smooth batter. Coat each cutlet in the batter, then press on a generous layer of panko breadcrumbs. Tip Fresh panko gives the crust a thicker, lighter texture that holds up well after simmering in broth, keeping a pleasant bite throughout. |
| 3 | Heat the oil to 320–340°F (160–170°C). Fry each cutlet for 2–3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove and rest on a wire rack for 2–3 minutes. Tip Resting allows the residual heat to finish cooking the interior gently, keeping the meat juicy. |
| 4 | Raise the oil temperature to 356°F (180°C). Return the cutlets and fry for a further 30 seconds to 1 minute until the crust is golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack and rest for 1–2 minutes, then slice into 1.5–2 cm strips. Tips
|
| 5 | Thinly slice the onion. Lightly beat 2 eggs per serving — mix just enough to break the whites without fully combining yolk and white. Tip Keeping the eggs loosely beaten creates the contrast between set white and flowing yolk that gives katsudon its signature texture. |
| 6 | In a small frying pan or small saucepan, combine the broth ingredients for one serving and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, add half the sliced onion, and simmer for 3–5 minutes until translucent. Tip Using dashi stock adds a layer of umami that brings the broth closer to the flavour of a traditional Japanese soba restaurant. Dashi powder or plain water can be used as substitutes. |
| 7 | Arrange one cutlet's worth of sliced tonkatsu in the pan. Simmer for about 30 seconds to let the cutlet absorb the broth. |
| 8 | Pour about two-thirds of the beaten egg over the tonkatsu. Cover and cook for 20–30 seconds. Once the egg begins to set at the edges, add the remaining egg and scatter over the mitsuba. Cover again and steam for 10–30 seconds. Tips
|
| 9 | Remove from heat while the egg is still slightly soft in the centre. Slide gently over a bowl of warm rice. Repeat for the second serving. Tip Finishing each serving individually keeps the egg texture consistent and prevents the tonkatsu crust from breaking down. |
Quick Version: Using Mentsuyu
For a simpler weeknight version, the broth can be made with concentrated mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base) and water alone — no individual seasonings needed.
Per serving, combine: 2 tbsp triple-concentrated mentsuyu and 60–75 ml (¼ cup) water with ¼ onion. Simmer the onion until soft, add the tonkatsu, then finish with egg as described above.
For a richer flavour, add an extra ½ tbsp of mentsuyu. If you prefer a slightly sweeter broth, a small amount of sugar can be added to taste.